Portable folding table



Jan. 13, 1959 v. ROGGIO 7 2,868,599

PORTABLE FOLDING TABLE Filed Dec. 12, 1957 INVENTOR VICTOR RosanATTORNEY United States PDRTABLE FOLDING TABLE ,Victor Roggio, Villanova,Pa.

Application December 12, 1957, Serial No. 702,387

3 Claims. 01. 311-90) detachably securedtogether and thereby adapted tobe fully expanded from a compact folded unit to conjointly serve as asingle table and then detached from one another to serve as two separatetables.

Another principal object of the present invention is to provide such atable having a pair of sections secured together so that they may bequickly detached from one another while the table is folded into acompact unit, and then'f ully expanded to serve as two separate tables.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentmore fully hereinafter, it being understood, of course, thatthe-invention consists inthe general combination, construction, locationand relative arrangeinent of parts, all as described in detail in thefollowing specification, as shownin the accompanyingdrawings and I asfinally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a perspective view of anexemplary table constructed in accordance with and embodyingtheprinciples of the present invention, the table being shown foldedinto a portable, compact unit.

Figure 2 is aperspe'ctive view of the table of Figure 1, the table beingshown fully expanded and the sections thereof attached to one anotherand conjointly serving as a single table.

Figures 3 and 4 are elevations showing the sections of the tabledetached from one another and serving as two separate tables.

FigureS is a longitudinal section through the folded up, compact tableunit, the leg frames being shown sandwiched between the table topmembers.

Figure 6 is a vertical section between the meeting ends of the table topmembers.

Figures 7 and 8 are perspective fragmentary bottom views of the meetingend portions of the table top members.

Referring to the drawing, the exemplary foldable table constructed inaccordance with and embodying the principles of the present inventioncomprises a pair of pivotally quick detachably connected sectionsrespectively des ignated A and B.

The table section A comprises a light gauge sheet metal table top thatis of rectangular shape, and which has a depending skirt extending aboutits outer periphery including opposite side skirt sections 11 and 12 andopposite end skirt sections 13 and 14. This table top is fitted with apair of tubular leg frames 15 and 16 of generally U shape, thecorresponding upper extremities of each leg frame being flattened andsecured respectively to the skirt sections 11 and 12, as at 17 -17. Eachleg frame is secured against spreading under load by a pair of foldatentO aasasss Patented Jan, 13, 1:95?)

27 and 28, foldab le corner braces 29, and a handle 31?.

The end skirt sections 14 and 26 are disposed at an acute anglerespectively to the table tops 10 and 22, in consequence of which, whenthe table sections A and B are fully expanded, the skirt sectionsaforesaid are disposed respectively in planes that diverge downwardlyfrom the meeting edges of the table tops 10 and 22.

The corner of the table top 10 where the skirt sections 12 and .14 meetis fitted with a sheet metal hinge part that has a main body 31 and apair of lateral extensions 32 and 33. The main body 31 and the lateralextensions 32 are disposed under the table top 10, respectively in sideabutting relation to the skirt sections 14 and 12, while the lateralextension 33 projects outwardly from under the skirt section 14 andterminates in an area 34 that is turned back upon itself and wrappedabout an axially fixed pin 35 which extends toward the opposite side ofthe unit.

The corner of the table top 10 where the skirt sections 11 and 14 meetis fitted with a sheet metal hinge part that has a main body 36 and apair of lateral extensions 32 and 33. The main body 31 and the lateralextension 37 are disposed under the table top 10, respectively in sideabutting relation to the skirt sections 14 and 11, while the lateralextension 38 projects outwardly from under the skirt section 14 andterminates in an area that is turned back upon itself to form a pinreceiving barrel 39.

Slidably fitted into the barrel 39 is a combination hinge and latch pinthat has a main body portion 40, a reduced diameter nose 41 and areduced diameter stem 42 which mounts a finger pull knob 43. The barrel39 is internally t fitted with a bushing 44 and with a coil compressionspring 45 that is wrapped about the stem 42; Normally, the

,spring 45 operates to bias the knob 43 into abutting engagement withthe bushing 44, in consequence of which thenose 41 and a substantialportion of the main body 40 of the latch pin project from the barrel 39toward the opposite side of the unit, the latch organization being suchthat by pulling upon the knob 43the nose 41 of the latchpin may be fullyretracted into the barrel 3? against the influence of the spring 45. t

The corners of the table top 22 where the skirt section 26 meets theskirt sections 23 and 24 are provided respectively with a pair ofessentially identical sheet metal hinge parts, each of which has a mainbody 48 and a pair of lateral extensions 49 and 50. The main body 48 andthe lateral extension 49 are disposed under the table top 22,respectively in side abutting relation to skirt section 26 and theassociated skirt section 23 or 24, while the lateral extension 50projects outwardly from under the skirt section 26 and terminates in anarea that is turned back upon itself to form a pin receiving barrel 51.Preferably, the four hinge parts store said are secured in place by spotwelding,

Referring particularly to Figures 2 and 6, normally the pins 35 and 40are accommodated respectively by the pin receiving barrels 5151 anddisposed with their axes coincident with the line of intersection of avertically ex tending plane intervening the meeting ends of the tabletops 10 and 22 and a horizontally extending plane at the level of thenarrow lower edges of the skirts extending about the table tops 10 and22.

As shown in Figure 2, the table sections A and B conjointly serve as asingle table, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, these sections aredetached from one another and serve as two separate tables. This changeis effected by first pulling upon the knob 43 to thereby fully retractthe nose 41 of the latch pin into the associated pin receiving barrel 51against the influence of the compression coil spring 45, whereupon themeeting ends of the table tops 1t and 22 are separated to move the latchpin laterally out of alignment with theaccommodating barrel 51. Then thetable sections A and B are shifted horizontally relative to one anotherto disengage the pin 35 from its accommodating barrel 51. Of course, toreunite the table sections A and B, the precedure outline hereinabove isreversed.

To fold the table into a portable, compact unit, first the severalcorner braces 18 and the leg frames 1:3 and 16 are folded up close underthe table top and thereby disposed entirely within the confines of theskirt extending about the table top ll). Then the several corner braces29 and the leg frames 27 and 28 are folded up close under the table top22 and thereby disposed entirely Within the confines of the skirtextending about the table top 22. Now the table sections A and B, foldedin the manner aforesaid, are swung about the axis of the pins 35 and 40and suitably secured together, as by a hook 52 and a pin 53. In thisfully folded up condition of the unit, the skirts extending about thetable tops 10 and 22 conjointly form the outer peripherally extendingwall of a case within which are fully enclosed the several corner braces18 and 29 and the several leg frames 15, 16, 27, and 28. 'Of course, tofully expand the unit and set it up again, the procedure outlinedhereinabove is reversed, or, optionally, the table sections A and B areseparated, fully expanded while separated and then reunited while fullyexpanded. Referring particularly to Figure 1, separation of the tablesections A and B is effected by retracting the nose 41.

of the latch pin into the associated barrel 51, laterally displacing thelatch pin from the line of its accommodating barrel, and then liftingthe table section B to thereby disengage the pin 35 from itsaccommodating barrel 51.

It will be understood that the foldable table of the present inventionis susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be madefrom time to time without departing from the real spirit or generalprinciples of the invention, and it is accordingly intended to claim thesame broadly as 'well as specifically as indicated by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A foldable table comprising a pair of independent table sections eachhaving a unitary sheet metal table top including a skirt extending aboutand depending therefrom, tubular metal support legs and means securingthe latter in underlying relationship to said table top, and hinge meanssecured to said skirt for pivotally quickdetachably securing said tablesections together and positioning said table tops in coplanar end-to-endabutting relation so that they conjointly form a single continuous tabletop, each of said support legs and securing means therefor beingfoldable with the confines of the associated skirt close up under theoverlying table top, said securing hinge means including a pair ofhinges having a common axis disposed in parallel spaced relation to, anddirectly below, said abutting table top ends, the skirts dependingrespectively from the abutting ends of the table tops being disposed indownwardly diverging planes,

each of said hinges being provided with a pair of hinge parts that arerigidly secured respectively to said diverging skirts andquick-detach'ably secured to one another, whereby said table sectionsare separable for serving as independent self-supporting tables, andwhereby when said table sections are secured by said hinge means andwhen said support legs are folded within the associated skirt said tablesections are foldableabout said hinges into parallel planar relationshipwith the table top skirts t MAAA A A a in engagement about theirperiphery to form a lightweight, portable, and compact unit.

2. A foldable table as defined in claim 1 wherein the pair of hinges aredisposed in axially spaced relation, said pair of hinges are providedrespectively with a pair of pins that project inwardly toward oneanother, and a pair of pin receiving barrels, one of said pins isaxially fixed and the other yieldably shiftable axially and therebyretractible from its accommodating barrel to thereby effect separationof the associated hinge parts independently of relative shiftingmovement of said table sections, and,

after retraction of said pin in the manner aforesaid, said tablesections may be shifted relative to one another to thereby elfectseparation of said axially fixed pin from its accompanying barrel andseparation of the associated hinge parts.

3. A foldable table as defined in claim 2 wherein the axially shiftablepin is slidably fitted into the hinge part I that mounts the same,spring pressed toward the axially fixed pin, and fully retractible intosaid hinge part against the influence of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS581,871 Sharp et al May 4, 1897 653,851 Smith July 17, 1900 2,644,192McClellan July 7, 1953 2,704,236 Mahr Mar. 15, 1955 2,763,889 BednarskiSept. 25, 1956

